Image by Tom Poole
York City won 3-0 at home against Southend United in the Vanarama National League on Saturday afternoon, securing their first victory of the season.
Southend won the first corner of the game after just three minutes, but the delivery was dealt with by the Minstermen.
The visitors continued to dominate large amounts of the ball in the opening exchanges. Noor Husin unlocked space outside the area in the 10th minute to attempt the shot, which landed into Ryan Whitley’s palms.
The Shrimpers continued to run the game in the first half. Callum Powell did well down the right-hand side to drive towards Crookes and unleash a shot which flashed across goal.
City took the lead out of nothing in the 26th minute when left-back Thierry Latty-Fairweather stuck a sweet right-footed shot from some 30-yards out into the top far corner of Andeng Ndi’s net.
Minstermen shot stopper Whitley kept City in the lead in the 43rd minute as Wes Fonguck was driving freely towards goal, he opened up and took aim, but Whitley was over to beat it away.
Whitley was again to the rescue for City as Southend drove inwards in the 50th minute through Powell, his shot nicked off the City defender to wrong-foot Whitley but the ‘keeper did well to get back across and tip it wide.
City had a penalty shout in the 56th minute when Dipo Akinyemi looked to have been bundled over in the area, but referee Paul Cooper didn’t agree.
The game become an end-to-end spectacle shortly after in the 57th minute when Maziar Kouhyar had one beat away from the edge of the area before Cardwell went up the other end and produced the same outcome for Southend.
Latty-Fairweather produced some unbelievable on the ball antics in the 65th minute to evade three challenges before cutting inside, winning City a corner.
Olly Dyson then headed a chance for City wide after being setup by midfielder Dan Batty.
In the 71st minute, Southend’s Harry Taylor was sent marching down the tunnel to give the Minstermen a man advantage. Referee Cooper went straight for the red after Taylor looked to be pulling back Akinyemi whilst through in goal.
Kouhyar doubled York’s advantage in the 74th minute after good work by Zanda Siziba down the right-hand flank saw the ball arrive into the area for Kouhyar to prod home.
Substitute Siziba wrapped up the points in the 77th minute for the Minstermen as a good first touch in the area following a cross from the left-hand side allowed him to hit it hard and low at the nearside of Andeng Ndi’s net.
Scott-Morriss then saw red for Southend in the 88th minute, who went down to nine men, after using bad language towards the linesman.
YORK CITY: Whitley, Fallowfield, Crookes, Cordner, Dyson, Akinyemi, Kouhyar, John-Lewis ©, Batty (78′ McLaughlin), Kennedy (59’ Siziba), Latty-Fairweather (72’ Hurst.)
SUBS NOT USED: Watson, Castro.
SOUTHEND: Andeng Ndi, Scott-Morriss, Kensdale, Bridge, Husin, Cardwell, Powell (66’ Wood), Taylor, Miley ©, Fonguck (76’ Mooney), Demetriou
SUBS NOT USED: Mooney, Coker.
ATTENDANCE: 4,679 (580 Southend Supporters).
WAITROSE MAN OF THE MATCH, CHOSEN BY YORK CITY FC FOUNDATION: Dan Batty.